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Recurring ear infections

Ear infections are common in kids, but some children are more prone than others and suffer from recurring infections.

What's normal?

One or two ear infections a year is pretty standard, but if your child has three or more ear infections in a six-month period or four ear infections in one year - or has persistent fluid behind the eardrum - you might want to consult your doctor to find out whether a long-term treatment is in order.

Treatment of recurring ear infections

While long-term antibiotic treatment has fallen out of favour in recent years, chronic cases, known as Glue ear, can be treated with a procedure of inserting tubes called grommets through the eardrum to help with drainage of fluid from behind the eardrum; or, in rare cases, the removal of your child's adenoids. As both these porcedures require a general aneasthetic, they are options you would need to discuss with your healthcare provider after all other avenues of treatment have been tried.

Why does my child keep getting ear infections?

Some kids are just more prone to ear infections than others, but as a rule, boys tend get ear infections more often than girls, as do children whose family members have had ear infections. Other factors that increase the chance of ear infections include regular exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of pollution and frequent exposure to large groups of children (like in large daycare settings).